Dangerous Dealings
by Irene Claire
Summary: A drug dealer takes revenge when Danny vows to catch him before more children get injured. One of our first collaborations - between me and CinderH!
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: This story is a strong collaboration between me and CinderH. The core plot of this story is all CinderH's doing and our muses took a collective hold to build on the plot bunny. **

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Dangerous Dealings - Chapter 1**

Danny was angry. The anger began a little more than a month earlier after reading up on Five-0's latest case and honestly, it wasn't just him but the entire team felt the exact same way. Sergeant Duke Lukela had asked for assistance based on the potential size of the drug ring working behind the scenes. He didn't want to leave any rock unturned or accidentally make any mistakes that would allow a single evil soul to pass through their fingers. Everyone wanted these guys because they were selling drugs to school children through a sneaky network of dealers. Their reach had grown and one dealer in particular was proving more treacherous each passing day. He was ruthless and dangerous, and didn't care if it was a kid or an adult as long as impressions were made and cash was pocketed.

So the team was eager that following week after Kamekona called with a lead – a solid lead that would bring them Dane Schneider on a silver platter and unravel the network. The warehouses were huge consisting of three separate, older buildings spaced out over one acre. It was late on a Friday afternoon and thunder rumbled off in the distance, the threat of heavy rain now more than a possibility. Opening the trunk of his silver Camaro, Detective Danny Williams grumbled under his breath about having to give up an afternoon with his daughter, Grace.

But he was also anxious to bring the ringleader to justice and his palms virtually itched in anticipation of grabbing Schneider by his slimy shirt collar.

"Danny, I'm sorry about Grace. I almost wish Kamekona hadn't called until Monday with the tip that this was where Schneider hung his shingle." Steve said to his partner and best friend as he came up behind him.

"What the..." Deep in his thoughts Danny jumped, startled when Steve spoke practically in his left ear. "Freakin ninja! I've told you before to not sneak up on me like that." Pulling out both his and his partner's Kevlar vests from the truck, he continued with a rueful sound that Steve had actually heard his quiet mumblings about his daughter.

"What, you have super sonic hearing too? And it's alright." Danny's tone was serious and he was focused as he checked his weapon and communications ear bud.

"Well, not really alright, but we can't have this guy doling his junk out to school kids. Grace understands. Let's get this guy." He didn't need to add that Grace understood because the she knew the boy who had been injured by dangerously laced drugs. It was horrifying to Danny that the boy was only in the grade above his daughter's. There was no doubt by now that the entire team was well aware of their case's most recent history.

Danny had been at HPD two weeks prior when Sergeant Duke Lukela received a call from a local grade school principal to inform them that Schneider had been spotted hanging around the grounds. That one sloppy sighting was enough to begin their stake out operation, build a growing file of habits, acquaintances and proof. And now with Kamekona's tip, there was some undeniable excitement in the air because they expected two of the dealer's primary partners to also be meeting in the warehouse that night.

"_Oh they aren't the only school we have heard from, Danny._" Duke had told him. "_Last week I received a phone call from Maryknoll and another from Sacred Heart. We just haven't been able to grab him yet._"

Danny's face had turned stormy with the news and he'd spat the words out angrily. "_Scared Heart? That's where my daughter goes to school."_

_"Yes, I know and you aren't going to like the latest. A child injured himself."_ Duke turned towards his computer and started printing the file.

_"What happened? Who got hurt?"_ By now Danny was outraged and tersely growling out the words as be leaned over Duke's shoulder. He handed the document to Danny as he summarized the story.

_"A twelve year old and his friend bought some pot off him, just testing the waters, but Schneider had laced it with something stronger. Both attend Sacred Heart. One boy said he felt weightless and decided to see if he could float off the roof of his house. He was lucky, only ending up with a broken leg. We're afraid someone is going to be hurt badly .. or god forbid, something even worse.._

Though any grade school was tragic, it was made worse by touching Grace's own school. Her supposed safe haven. After that, Danny made it his mission to catch Dane Schneider and they almost had him twice to rights earlier that same week. The case was grating on everyone's nerves since they had been so close. But by the slimmest of chances, Schneider had managed each time to get away from either Five-0 or HPD.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

The team assembled quickly and quietly on the opposite side of the large complex. Their remote parking location provided them cover due to a large copse of trees. An old narrow dirt path nearly hidden in the heavy foliage would lead them to the back bays of the main warehouse building. Intentionally keeping the operation small that night, Five-0 had what they thought would be rock solid plans. However, Duke knew their location and every planned move down to the millisecond as he anxiously awaited their update.

They had two hours to sweep the area and ready for Schneider's meet in the largest building. So Steve was abrupt as he gave last minute instructions and they split into two halves.

"Let's go. Like we discussed. Chin, you and Kono move out to the last building on the end. Keep an eye and ear towards the loading dock area in case there are any surprises. Danny and I will sweep the two smaller buildings and work our way towards you. Once we confirm that the place is empty, we reconvene at the east end and wait."

The complex was silent as they split up and surveyed their assigned destinations. Danny made a face as the thunder sounded closer and light became dimmer from the darkening cloud cover.

Glancing to Steve, he nodded to take the far left door as Steve took the center so they could quickly do their sweep. Slowly edging inside with gun drawn, he looked around the interior of the dark, gloomy building. Unexpectedly, the small warehouse was divided into several smaller storage rooms and he grinned when he caught Steve's annoyed groan.

Clearing several empty rooms at once, Danny stopped and looked closely at the bigger open space of the huge warehouse. It was difficult to see all of the eerily dark recesses due to the gloomy shadows and fading light, but there were two sets of stairs on different sides of the building going to a second floor. Another unexpected architectural issue that they were faced with and Danny opened his communications link.

"So, it just gets better and better. None of this was on the plans." He whispered to Steve and once again heard the annoyance in the short reply.

"Let's go up." The aggrieved sigh ended the communication as each man reluctantly took a side that would separate them even more. And it seemed straight forward enough as Danny tracked the railing that ran around the upper floor with an open view looking down onto the lower level.

Silently jogging up the stairs, Danny lost sight of his partner as the staircase turned back onto itself like a switch-back on a trail. Halfway to the second floor, he looked down and saw several large stacks of what appeared to be empty cardboard boxes and large rolls of plastic back down in the main warehouse area. Danny continued up and then hesitated on the landing. On his left was a series of small offices. And to his right, the railing opened up as he knew to the main floor. He could look across the way and barely see Steve mirroring his location. The two shared a thumbs up signal as they crept along each side.

Suddenly his ear bud crackled to life as Kono broke radio silence. _"Five 0! Freeze!"_ She shouted loudly. _"I said freeze, don't any of you move again or I'll shoot!"_

Danny and Steve froze in place as they listened to Chin react to his cousin's demands. Tapping his device in an attempt to clear the static, Danny scowled as he caught what seemed like every other word.

_"Kono, I'm on my way. Can you hold them?"_ Chin asked. A long silence followed and Steve became impatient.

"Report." He whispered harshly as he waved through the gloom to Danny to retreat back down and move back to join them. "Report. We're coming over now."

But they slowed before they even hit the top of the staircase as Kono's disgusted voice came over the air. _"False alarm."_ She said sounding embarrassed. _"Continue as planned."_

_"What was it?"_ Chin practically hissed the question at his cousin. Through static and broken sound, Danny grinned at Kono's embarrassed reply.

_"Uh... raccoons."_ she replied slowly with a trace of humor in her voice. At Chin and Steve's soft chuckles, she explained further. _"Not my fault. They're about 5 feet off the ground on boxes. Give me a break! The light isn't so good in here."_

"Copy that." Steve grinned back with concealed laughter in his voice. With a wave, he indicated to Danny that they would finish their sweep. But he completely missed Danny's emphatic gesture that his device was acting up.

"Steve." Danny whispered into the link. "Hey. Steven." And he rolled his eyes as he realized the device was more defective than he originally thought when the man didn't even look up from the other side of the second floor.

Taking it off and trying to encourage some sort of signal, Danny cursed the device before slamming it back into place. At least he could hear some of the communications but he'd have to swing by the cars for a backup. "Damn it."

Soon, Steve's voice crackled faintly over the ear mike. "Dan..?...find an..thing o...ht...?"

Complaining disgustedly under his breath, Danny shook his head as he failed again at catching Steve's eye. Once again, they had moved briefly out of their mutual line of sight. Hurrying now, Danny knew Steve would worry as soon as he realized the lack of response could mean trouble.

In his haste to cross his side for the second set of stairs leading back down to the main warehouse floor, he didn't notice the dark shape tracking him from the shadows. Moving low and steady, the excited gleam of Schneider's eyes followed the Detective. He knew that the man's partner was on the other side but the layout of the second floor would limit his ability to respond. He wanted Williams and he wanted him badly. Feet on the street had pegged the Five-0 Detective as the most persistent and closest to apprehending the dealer and his cohorts. Kamekona's intel was truthful but partly fabricated since Schneider had intentionally set the trap for the team .. and specifically to get Williams. And he'd been waiting the entire day just for them to arrive.

And as his target paused to survey the warehouse and then the opposite side of the second floor before beginning down, Schneider struck. The force of his body slammed purposefully into Danny _hard_ and the unexpected blow sent him flailing down the staircase.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	2. Chapter 2

******I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **First and foremost - CinderH and I thank you all for such great reviews! We are loving our new co-authorship venture and both of us greatly appreciate the kind reviews!

**For those asking, yes there ARE raccoons in Hawaii. Though some sites say no. But as found here: **Are there raccoons in Hawaii? In: SciTech › Science › Animals & Plants: Yes! Historically found in forests, wetlands and along river and stream corridors the highly adaptable Raccoon has learned to thrive in close proximity to humans. Now you can find commonly Raccoons in suburbs and even busy cities. You can also check the Honolulu Animal Control site for critters they often deal with - which includes Raccoons. Also, a stowaway Raccoon was discovered this year on a ship from California to Maui They got it off alive, but there is now a strong likelihood that others have come over in the past. I think it is best to say that research is actually iffy right now for this undesirable animal. For the purposes of this story, we are going with the light moment they provide in the warehouse.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 2**

"Steve!" He bellowed once as Schneider came out of the dark gloom to knock him violently and completely off his feet. Wind milling wildly, Danny's back hit part of the railing and he felt sharply splintered pain in both shoulders. But unable to stop his fall, he tumbled down the stairs getting off only one shot at the dark shape that loomed above him.

He hit the last step hard and it completely pushed all the air from his lungs in a harsh rush. And then the man was on top of him and they were grappling for his gun. A strong hand settled unmercifully around his windpipe and his vision grayed as Schneider gleefully tried to strangle him. Through his ear bud, Danny could hear the broken sounds of Steve's voice in an odd rendition of stereo because he was also echoing loudly from the other side of the warehouse as he raced to his aid.

But then he was falling again as the two fought for control. Danny felt the staircase railing give way followed by the sickening sense of the floor rushing towards him. His loud _oomph_ was not the result of that though; hitting a portion of a stack of boxes, more pain exploded in his upper back when his fall was briefly broken before he finally did hit the hard concrete.

Breathless, Danny was totally stunned by the unexpected attack as he lay partially on his side feeling as if he'd been punched in the gut. His feeble attempt at moving brought on a sharp pain in his ribcage and his vision blackened again unexpectedly.

"Steve...Steve...where..?" Danny cursed himself for his ridiculously shattered voice as he struggled to both breathe and sit up against the crippling pain flaring in his body. His right forearm and upper back stung and he could feel rivulets of blood beginning to run down his back and stain his shirt.

The effort to roll over onto his hands and knees finally allowed him to scramble awkwardly towards his gun. Nearby, the man that had virtually tackled him lay unmoving on the warehouse floor. But his ear bud was pure static now and with shaking fingers, Danny ripped it off his head. But he could hear Steve getting closer as he sagged on his knees to point his weapon at the man who was now beginning to stir.

"Freeze, Five 0." Danny said gasping, still trying to catch his breath and willing his vision to clear.

In the dim light, he finally saw the nasty eyes and ugly pock-marked face. "Schneider." Danny snarled with distaste as he recognized their primary suspect. "Don't move."

Rolling to a nearly matching kneeling position, Schneider smiled thinly as he answered with one hand held up; the other hung limply by his side as blood stained his sleeve. "Sure, Detective. Whatever you say."

As he moved his free hand into view, Danny saw that he held a syringe with the needle still attached. "Aww, look what you made me do now." He purred as he examined the bent and damaged needle.

"But I think it will still work. Rainbow Skittles of course. Oh look, there is a little left for me." Schneider said quickly stabbing the needle into his arm. "I had some earlier. Before you arrived because it was a long wait. I was almost giving up hope."

Grinning, the dealer depressed the plunger of the syringe. "I think I even laced it with something else too. You ever felt so light that you thought you could just fly off one of these rocky cliffs here in Oahu?"

The jabbing move was fast and Schneider once again caught Danny off guard as he injected himself with the remaining drug.

"Drop it, drop it now." Coughing and holding his ribs with his left arm, Danny made the demand as he tried to push himself up to his feet. Seconds later, Steve was finally there and simultaneously supporting his elbow and growling at Schneider who only then allowed the syringe to fall from his fingers.

"How precious." The dealer cooed as Steve made sure Danny was able to stand unassisted. "How very .. very sweet."

"Shut it." Steve snarled as he kicked the syringe away and flipped Schneider onto his stomach to cuff him. He ignored the muffled shriek as the man's injured arm was twisted around to his back.

Searching the dealer's pockets carefully, Steve found three baggies of additional drugs plus a small switch blade. "Nice. Keep piling it on for us buddy. It only helps."

"Danny, you didn't answer me .. what happened?" Barely looking at his partner while he ensured Schneider wasn't going anywhere, Steve advised Kono and Chin of their status. "Get HPD here for a pickup and … an ambulance."

_"Copy that. On our way."_ Danny wavered awkwardly on his feet but without his head piece, he never heard Chin's affirmative reply. He rubbed his face wearily only to notice that Steve was staring at him now and waiting for an answer to his first question.

"Mic's broken." Danny coughed out as he leaned forward with both hands weakly placed on his knees. He took deep settling breaths and then winced as the action pulled on his badly bruised ribs. "Was trying to get to you to let you know .. but he came out of no where."

Glaring at the dealer, Danny's hand was limp as he waved it at the leering face. "He just came out of no where."

Steve didn't immediately answer as he hauled Schneider to his feet and eyed Danny's disheveled state. The two had fallen far and were undoubtedly badly bruised and bleeding; with Schneider holding his right arm at a pained angle as blood seeped from a deep gouge. He looked over his shoulder to make sure Danny was still upright and able to walk on his own.

"Let's go. Outside. Danny?"

Slowly straightening, Danny gave himself another moment to catch his breath before nodding as he followed the two out of the warehouse. The skies were very dark now and it was beginning to drizzle. Thunder echoed loudly, but the more he moved the better Danny began to feel as the shock of the attack wore off his body. By the time he had spent a few minutes in the fresh air and they began the short walk back to the cars, Danny had shaken the worst of it off. He was very sore, extremely angry, but barely limping.

"M'fine. Just a bit knocked around from the fall." The admission made Steve angrily push Schneider forward just as the dealer began to chuckle. "But ah .. Steve .. he shot himself up."

"I did .. but more too. More than you know." The man muttered with a sneer. "Definitely more than you know."

"What the hell does that mean?' Danny rotated his neck and then rubbed his left shoulder from a deep ache that he was only now beginning to notice. He was fuming as he and Steve escorted the dealer back to the vehicles. However, he couldn't stop the involuntary flinch as thunder echoed again and he blinked in confusion as something caught his eye in a flash of lightning.

Schneider's small eyes were sparkling in the darkness and they lit up as lightning flashed closer and the drizzle turned to a more steady rain. "You've been dogging me for the past few weeks and ruining my business. Some of those kids were beginning to pay up, but you ruined it. Your turn is coming and sooner than you might expect."

His barked laugh turned into a helpless giggle when Danny flinched again. Schneider pushed back against Steve's restraining hands to get a good look at the Detective's face and grinned menacingly at Danny as he watched the detective glance uneasily into the tree line.

"Who else is here with you?" Danny whispered as he hesitated and peered into the brush along the short path.

Snorting with mirth, Schneider shrugged happily as Steve manhandled him down the trail. "Why no one Officer. No one at all." The mocking childish tone ended in breathless laughter that was cut off as Steve pushed him so hard, he fell to a knee and then needed help as he struggled back up to his feet.

"That's abuse you know."

"Prove it." Steve taunted back as they finally made it back to the cars. The rain was starting to fall harder but they could already hear sirens in the distance as HPD arrived. Chin and Kono were also running up to greet them.

"Well, look who we have here." Chin remarked with satisfaction as he took up the dealer's other arm and propelled him to the front of the Camaro where he was forcibly seated on the wet chrome bumper. Grinning with a foolish pleasure at Danny's face, Schneider had begun to laugh louder.

Seconds later, Steve was holding Danny back as the dealer taunted him about Grace. "And that little girl you have? Grace. I know her name is Grace. You're ruining it for her too. But you don't need me or my goods for that because once your ex-wife hears about this, she won't ever let you come near that sweet, little girl again."

Danny was livid and shaking with rage as he attempted to lunge past Steve. "How do you know her? How? What the hell are you talking about?"

It was Kono that put an end to the jeering laughter with one solid sweep of Schneider's legs with her own. Connecting neatly with the back of his knees, she knocked him from where he sat up against the Camaro. On his way down to the muddy ground, he slammed the back of his head into the hood of the car and nearly knocked himself senseless.

Using her foot to roll him onto his side, she shrugged out an apology she didn't mean. "Oops. Sorry boss. I must have slipped."

Still holding his partner back, Steve was still frowning at the clenched fists, heaving chest and the series of strong tremors he felt through his hands. "Danno?"

"Leave him there." Danny shouted as he shook himself out of Steve's grip and stalked away to walk in an agitated circle near the path back to the warehouses. Wiping his face from sweat and rainwater, his arms were waving in the air. "Just ... leave him there."

The three shared a meaningful look as Chin toed the dealer to semi-consciousness and then physically pulled him back up to sit against the car.

"I'd shut my mouth if I were you." Chin cautioned the man who had finally stopped laughing only to gaze blearily up in confusion. "Or, you might slip again."

The soft chuckle came from Steve who left them to check on Danny who had stopped aimlessly walking in circles. "Okay, Danny. Lets see what's going on with you. You're bleeding and obviously rattled. But don't worry about Grace .. I'm sure those are idle words."

Steve stopped talking though when Danny held his hand up to ask for silence. He was staring back up the trail and in the direction of the warehouse with his gun haphazardly aimed into the shadows. Cautiously, Steve joined him and the two listened intently as they panned the area with only the sounds of wind and rain greeting their ears.

Avoiding the torn and cut areas on the shirt, Steve laid his hand on Danny's shoulder and gave it a little shake. "Danny? Hey. What is it?"

"I guess .. nothing." Danny muttered as he rubbed his shoulders again and glowered darkly as a spat of new giggles reached him. Gently, Steve moved him away from Schneider's view and the persistent cackle. His torn clothes were additionally ruined by dirt, filth and now rain. Streaks of blood glistened across his back, neck and shoulders from a multitude of scratchy cuts but Danny groaned in pain when Steve's probing fingers connected with his rib cage.

"Steven." Danny gasped as he pushed away from his partner. "Enough already .. leave me alone."

"They're cracked for sure." Steve noted as he followed Danny's movement and pulled his shirt up for a better look. "Oh boy. You need to be seen by a doctor." He breathed out in sympathy. Up high on the left, Danny's skin was already darkly bruised and swollen around to his back.

"Sit down." And before Danny could object, Steve was insisting that Danny sit on a large rock by a tree. "What else? Did you hit your head or black out?"

"You'd make a lousy nurse." Danny griped as he vainly tried to duck away from Steve's endless hen-pecking. But he froze in mid sentence as a colorful streak of light made him stagger back up to his feet.

"There it was again. Did you see that?" Danny hissed as he grabbed for Steve's arm and waved his gun back into the copse of trees. On guard, Steve tried to follow Danny's gesture but shook his head after a few minutes when he didn't see anything.

"No, could just be the storm and the light is poor. The wind's kicking up too." Steve remarked dryly, but he was now watching both the underbrush and his partner with a wary expression. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

The disgusted noise Danny made had Steve laughing out an apology with both hands raised. "Fine! Fine! But you are going to get checked out Danno; no arguments."

The two sat quietly as three HPD units pulled in and five minutes later, an ambulance. After the mandatory check, Danny refused care as the EMT made a face about the grouchy detective.

"I don't think anything's broken. Badly bruised is a definite though." The EMT had also checked the cuts and bruises on Danny's shoulders and upper back deeming them also non-life threatening.

And then after caring for Danny, the EMT's turned their attention to the drug dealer that kept stealing amused glances at the team, but most especially at Danny. Kono narrowed her eyes in annoyance at the man's odd attitude as she also began to study Danny's mannerisms.

Holding his head with his good hand, Schneider was giggling non-stop about rainbows, candy and Skittles while the medics bandaged him up. When she was given the all clear, she quickly cuffed him to the gurney. But in Kono's opinion, Danny was still shaken. He seemed a bit jittery but no worse for wear as he continued to rub his right shoulder. And then she needed to keep an eye on Schneider as the EMT's confirmed that the one cut on his arm was considered serious enough for stitches. They also had suspicions that the dealers' forearm was either sprained or fractured, so HPD would be required to escort the ambulance to hospital before taking Schneider officially into custody. And then their worry about the dealer's blood pressure and arrhythmic heart rate had them hustling the man away.

"Danny said he injected himself with something .. before we could get to him." Kono offered as an EMT inserted an IV line for fluids and wrote down an alarmingly high blood pressure reading. The dealer's vitals were erratic and his breathless laughter was fading as he paled and lost more focus on his surroundings.

"Drugs .. yes .. overdose .. possible. If you find what it was .. let us know." But the second EMT was finally coming to grips with the dealer's ramblings and he shook the man's arm to get his attention.

"Rainbow Skittles? You messed up .. on purpose. Could you have taken an overdose? LSD? What else?" The affirmative giggle increased their hectic pace as what Schneider meant sank into Kono's brain too. The slang meant that Schneider had definitely taken LSD and his vitals were saying that he could have taken too much; they were potentially dealing with so much more. But Schneider never got a chance to say another word as his eyes rolled back in his head and his body spasmd uncontrollably.

And then Kono was left standing alone as the ambulance departed the warehouse grounds with two HPD units as escort. Worried and more than a little unsettled, she jogged back to where the rest of her team was waiting.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: "we" sort of apologize for this terrible ****cliffie. So yeah - maybe double the whump .. but you also have to put up with TWICE as terrible cliffies! More tomorrow ...**

*** H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 3**

The rain was starting to come down harder now and Steve only wiped the water from his face because their job wasn't yet done. Kono had described the dealer's sudden collapse in the ambulance, but none of them were all that surprised. Least of all Danny who had seen the man dispense the last of the syringe into his arm. They were obligated to gather up what was left in the warehouse, as well as complete their sweep of the remaining buildings.

Collecting baggies and gloves, Steve motioned his team back to the buildings. Danny was in the trunk of the Camaro digging out another head piece and testing it diligently. Turning, he tossed a flashlight to each of his team mates.

"I want to pick up that syringe and see what else he'd left in there. We need to lock this place down and get whatever evidence we can. I doubt the other two will show up .. Kamekona's intel wasn't entirely correct. But you never know .. this guy is full of surprises."

Everyone was in agreement but Steve had a bad feeling as he watched his partner's back suddenly stiffen from a particularly loud clap of thunder. Regardless of what the EMT declared, Steve had heard the uncertainty about the ribs being only bruised versus possibly cracked. And he definitely wanted Danny checked out by a doctor as he studied the stiffly tilted posture and protective stance. So his words were just loud enough for the man to hear and immediately, the wet blonde head was shaking in denial.

"Danny .. sit this one out. It's only a quick sweep and you got rattled pretty good in there. When we're done, I'm insisting you have a proper check up at the E.R." And Steve fully expected the irritated vocal reply as Danny began walking back to the warehouse.

"I said that I was fine. The EMT said that I was fine. I do _**not**_ need a check up, Steven. So .. let it go." With a shake of his own head, Steve glared worriedly at the back of Danny's vest as he strode away from them.

As they listened to the two argue, Chin and Kono smiled briefly to each other and then they followed the two men back to the main building. The raised voices and flailing hands were all very typical. But like Steve, Kono was casually keeping an eye on Danny's back. Chin had also noticed his cousin's anxiety and he stopped her using his flashlight as an excuse to share a few words.

"So what's wrong? You're worried about Danny." His voice was nearly inaudible but it was enough for Kono to whisper a quick explanation. "Steve's right that he needs to see a doctor. But suppose Schneider got him with that syringe? It wouldn't take much and he was so damned arrogant and .. then he seized .. but what he was _saying .._ the taunts and the laughter."

And then she was moving faster to catch up to Steve and Danny as they walked back to the warehouse. Oh her heels, Chin took time to study Danny's much too tense body with fresh eyes and began to feel very concerned.

*** H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

"We can't afford to miss anything." Steve said as they re-entered the building with flashlights. "Whatever's here could be important to the larger case. And we all want to nail this group to the wall."

Making his way to where Danny had fought with Schneider, he bagged the syringe and frowned at the bent needle and now empty vial. He sighed in frustration as they all worked together to clear the warehouse. But there was nothing else of note in the building, so they all moved to the larger facility.

The enormous second building was drafty and the beams of their flashlights cut through the murky darkness in narrow bright shafts. For no reason, Danny felt his heart begin to race as he edged forward just off to Steve's left. Rubbing his neck gently, Danny winced and frowned unhappily. The EMT had patched up the worst of the cuts on his neck and back, but he was uncomfortable as the abused muscles tightened and began to ache. And then another noise had him catching his breath and he stumbled to a halt running a shaky hand over his sweaty face.

"Danny?" Steve was just ahead but also had stopped when he sensed Danny's uncertainty. Frozen in place, Danny was visibly shaking and pale; noticeably flinching away when Steve briefly shown his flashlight on him for a better look. As with them all, his gun was drawn but Danny's left arm was tucked protectively into his supposedly bruised ribs. Not only jumpy, his friend was in pain and Steve had enough of the out of character grandstanding.

"You are not alright." He stated it as a bland fact and was back at Danny's side in just a few short steps.

"Hey. Look at me." The realization of what might have happened with Schneider was making Steve incredibly nervous. And now with Danny acting more and more on edge, Steve radioed a complete halt to the team's progress.

"Danno. You are not alright. Is it more than what he said about Grace? Are you hurt worse and not saying anything .. because it's never the time for that." His stomach clenched fearfully as he repeated himself and he watched Danny's eyes dart away from him towards the rafters. Trembling in earnest, he pointed his gun directly towards the upper darkened areas.

"They're here." Danny murmured as he aimed his weapon high into a corner. But Steve gently put his hand over Danny's own and strongly pushed the gun down; shocked to find his friend's hand shaking and the skin ice cold to the touch. Any doubt fled his mind and he knew for certain at that point as he firmly moved Danny off the side. Rummaging in his pocket, he tossed the bagged syringe to Kono.

"One of you get HPD on the line. I want that tested ASAP and I want to know what Schneider did … and get another ambulance out here." The three were back together with worried eyes all on Danny as Steve insisted on prying the gun from his rigid fingers. He was keeping his voice low and purposeful while quickly handing the weapon off to Kono for safekeeping.

"Steve?" Kono asked as she tried to calm Danny with a gentle hand on his arm. But he shook her off and took a few steps away as thunder deafened them in the warehouse. "Before they left, the EMT's thought Schneider had used LSD. You don't think .. he got .. any of that .. into Danny?"

Her words made Chin pause before connecting with Duke and the HPD escorts. Her voice ended in a whisper as her eyes filled with a dark fright. Kono knew the answer as she finally voiced what she'd been hesitant to believe. "He did. He got him .. what do we do?" Even without his weapon, Danny was still staring up into the rafters and virtually ignoring their conversation. She watched Steve change dangerously as he again moved closer to Danny's shoulder.

"We're done here." Steve replied quietly as he physically turned his partner back towards the doors. But as soon as the words left his mouth, a series of shots rang out from above them and the team was forced to scatter to take cover.

"High." Kono reported through her mic. "I thought this would be a bust with Schneider in custody. But I guess Kamekona was right .. the other two are here for the meeting."

"No. It's a trap. He knew .. Schneider did this on purpose. He knew we would have to finish the job and he knew we could be lax. Off guard." Steve angrily said as he tried to keep an eye on Danny plus get a sighting on the shooter's location high above them. On automatic pilot, Danny had fumbled for his spare weapon in his ankle holster and he now had that held at the ready.

Danny knew something was wrong too as flashes of light streamed more often in his peripheral vision. He could barely focus his eyes and his hands were clenched in tight, spastic fists. But he couldn't hide the accusatory tone in his voice as what he thought were heightened senses proved Schneider's meet was still planned. He muttered constantly to himself on the other side of a large shipping crate.

"I told you. You didn't listen. I told you. And they know Grace .. now they _know_ her and it's my fault."

Forced back by a round of gunfire that peppered the concrete in front of him, Steve had to remain where he was as Chin and Kono returned fire. Danny was crouched low behind the wooden crate and just a bit too far for Steve or one of the others to reach.

"Danny? You good?" It was a ridiculous question and the brief nod wasn't at all convincing because Steve knew that Danny wasn't operating entirely on instincts .. he'd definitely been drugged and Steve had the syringe to prove it. He nearly panicked when Danny stood taller and rocked away from his limited protection to get off a few erratically aimed shots himself. Immediately, splintered wood flew high into the air from the answering gunfire to barely miss Danny's face.

"Stay down! Danny .. stay down. Don't move! God. Damn. It." Rolling his eyes in anger, Steve enunciated each word as he yanked his vibrating cell phone from his pocket but was shocked to see Duke Lukela's name flashing on the screen because Chin hadn't finished his call.

"Duke. Perfect timing. We're a bit busy right now and could use some backup."

Ducking low as another spatter of gunfire strafed the area, Steve choked in complete surprise when he looked up and Danny was gone. But Duke's faint words shocked him to the core. "_Steve! He's dead. Schneider's dead .. he seized en route and coded in the ambulance! They couldn't get him back."_

"Danny." He breathed his friend's name out in true fear now as he took a drastic chance to bolt the distance out in the open towards the direction he assumed his partner had gone. He barely registered the bullets that missed his heels by a fraction of an inch. Hollering into the phone, he sprinted out the side door and into the rain. "Duke. We fell into a trap and need backup here. Now. And an ambulance. Now, Duke!"

_"You got it. Three minutes tops."_ With that the connection was cut and Steve was then yelling orders into his comm link.

"Chin .. handle this with Kono. HPD is on the way and they're less than three minutes out. I'm going after Danny."

Kono was also shouting by then and aggressively covering him, along with Chin who had started to fire in earnest at the upper level._ "Go. We got it. Go!"_

**_ ~ to be continued ~_**


	4. Chapter 4

**I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **"we" know ... yup WE DO KNOW. Another CLIFFIE! TWICE the fun!

*** H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 4**

His rational brain told him it was all wrong. In fact, that he - Detective Danny Williams - was one thousand percent wrong. And it demanded that he wait for his friends. But Danny could feel the effects of the LSD starting to take control and he just couldn't stop what he was doing. The rapid thudding in his chest proved that his heart was racing madly as he lurched away from the gunfire and out into the rain. He slipped once in the mud, falling to both knees only to get violently ill. His body was shaking uncontrollably now from the effects of the drug as he scrambled to his feet and holding one arm across his injured ribs, stumbled towards a more dense line of trees beyond the warehouse.

As everything around him became wavy and distorted, he only knew that he needed to escape and run. More were after him and if they found him, they would find his team too and he needed to protect them all. And the worst thing was that they knew his daughter. They had been to her school, they had _said_ her _name_ and he blamed himself for that because he hadn't protected her well enough.

"Grace. And save her .. from them. Grace. It's my fault." Mumbling and staggering at a broken half-jog Danny kept distancing himself from the warehouses and into more dense jungle. He could draw the danger away from his team and away from his daughter. His small gun was clenched fiercely in his right hand, but he had dropped his flashlight somewhere and he could barely see just a few short steps in front of him as the storm intensified.

As the wind increased, the change to the cooler air and cold, driven rain eventually began to fill Danny with a heady rush. It refreshed and pushed him forward with a perceived sense of strength and he began to feel stronger, faster and was almost euphoric. Unexpectedly, a giggle much like that from Schneider burst from his mouth. He felt more powerful and as if his feet were weightless as he made his way through dense underbrush.

But his happy reverie was cut short as he pitched head first over a tree root. "Whoa!" Danny giggled as he barely saved himself by grabbing tightly to a tree trunk. Wrenching his ribs in the near fall, he grinned into the darkness and coughed out a sharp laugh at the burst of pain. "Hurts. It hurts." But the laughter turned into something else as he sagged against the tree. Closing his eyes against a new kind of rush, a flash of stifling heat and dizziness had him swaying. And mere seconds later all of that earlier euphoria was completely gone.

"Don't know." Danny whispered to himself as he bit back on rising nausea. He turned his head in the direction of where he had come from as Steve's voice faintly reached his ears. Part of him still demanded that he stop and call for help, but Steve's name died on his lips. "Don't know." Resting his forehead against the knobby truck of the tree, rain poured down on him and Danny was torn by indecision.

"I just don't know." Flushed and sweating, he groaned in frustration as numb fingers tore the Velcro loose on his Kevlar vest and he yanked it off one-handed so that he could breathe. The movement had the stabbing ache tearing at his ribs and shoulders and Danny stiffly tried to rub at the tight painful knots. But he paused again as he heard more shouts closing in on where he rested. Wiping his face from the sweat and rain, Danny made a decision.

Weak-kneed, he pushed himself off the trunk of the tree and nearly lost his balance. "No. Don't fall. Don't fall." He chanted to himself with ragged breaths as he made himself remain upright. Turning briefly again, he saw a bobbing light through the leaves and ferns. And now the vivid multicolored vegetation jumped out at him when lightning flashed. Disoriented, Danny hesitated once more when he clearly heard Steve calling his name. The bobbing light was his friend and he was definitely closer .. too close .. and the sound of his voice spurred him to move.

"Keep safe. Please. Take care of Grace." Danny muttered out loud. His heart pounded in his chest when he glanced back just one more time and saw the flashlight. "Nonono. They want me. Not you. Not her. Just me."

And he was off again, using trees to hold himself up as he staggered through the mud. Drenched from the heavy downpour and shivering badly, the dark muted green of the rainforest was everywhere. In his mind, the branches grew fingers and the green canopy merged with the night sky and Danny imagined it as a heavy blanket reaching down to smother and bury him. Breaking into an odd broken shuffle, he twisted trying to avoid the green vines hanging down from the trees thinking now that they were large, poisonous snakes reaching out to grab his body.

Tripping over rocky ground, he fell hard and this time, he felt a crushing pain in his side and upper back as he landed heavily. The stunned gurgled cough coincided with a sharp snapping sensation on his left side and he couldn't ignore the grating feeling as he vainly attempted to get back on his feet.

He never even made it to a sitting position though. Stranded on his back, his ribs now officially broken, Danny blinked up into falling rain drops and could only make shallow wheezing sounds through his mouth.

*** H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Steve was becoming frantic as he jogged aggressively through the jungle. He had only spotted Danny one time and then had completely lost him in the shadowed depths of the jungle.

"Can't find him. He can't have just vanished." He was panting not from the exertion, but from the growing pangs of fear as more and more time passed. It was pitch dark now and the storm was well upon them all as Steve called out Danny's name every few strides. His flashlight swung constantly left and right to cut a narrow beacon ahead of him and it was just enough light to glisten off the shiny material. It was out of place and Steve knew what it was before he reached down to pick it up. Clutching the Kevlar vest in one hand, Steve bellowed again as his eyes anxiously searched the area just ahead of his flashlight. "Danno! Danny!"

His shouts went utterly unanswered and he had to stop long enough to call Chin and Kono. From that short update, Steve learned that the two dealers had been _dispatched_. Chin's tone was chilling as he reported that fact.

_"It's over. And HPD is here. They will finish clearing the property. We found a significant stash in a side storage room. But we've got supplies and we're splitting up to move in your direction."_

"_Ambulance is here and waiting too." _Kono was in complete agreement as she added hurriedly. "_I emptied the car and took more from the EMT's so we've got everything but the kitchen sink."_

Steve made an approving sound as he half-listened to the brief exchanges and then ended transmission. "Come on. Where did you go?" Steve fretted as he dodged trees, ducked under low branches and stumbled over barely visible tree roots.

"Danny!" He shouted the name loudly and then was off immediately in the direction of the distant sounds of the ocean. He could just make out the echo of turbulent waves hitting jagged rocky cliffs. It was then that his heart lurched at the unmistakable sound of a single gun shot. For a second, he was completely stunned and paused mid-stride until a second popping sound reached his ears and then he was running again.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	5. Chapter 5

**I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: ** ok - CinderH and I had a brief 'discussion'. My day tomorrow will be crazy - I am posting for "us" now because I can't know for certain if I will have time. I've been traveling for the week on business and tomorrow is a big final expo day / travel home day.

WE very very much thank you all for the kind reviews! Thank you.

*** H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 5**

Breaking out of the deep jungle, Steve saw him moments later. One arm wrapped around his injured ribs, the other hanging down by his side but the small revolver still in hand. Fear had once again forced him to his feet and Danny had crossed a grassy expanse that ended high on a cliff edge. A few sparse trees dotted the open field and in the gloomy night, they looked like ominous sentries. Danny had taken two shots at one of them as gusts of stormy wind caused its misshapen branch-like arms to sway violently towards him.

The distant silhouette Steve wanted though was fully exposed to the wrath of the storm. Fear had used up his last reserves of energy and Danny had eventually been drawn to the noise of the churned up ocean waves crashing onto the rocky shore. Steve saw him now hunched over and desolate; buffeted by rain and wind as he stared blankly down at the white foamy waves. Danny stood there utterly mesmerized by their hypnotic motion as they rolled in and out, over and over under the dark skies that were occasionally lit by jagged lightning.

Steve's frantic shouts were drowned out by the combined sounds of the storm and crashing ocean. And he was simply too far away and Danny was deafened; enthralled in another world as time stood still and lightning zigzagged across the sky. Looking down, Danny remembered that Steve had often talked about the soothing, warm waters and how they often provided a calming effect. The irrational thought that the water could also protect him began to circulate in his head.

Exhaustion and pain were dangerous mixtures with the drug as he stood at the heights. "They're coming." He was whispering to himself and beginning to look for a way out. And as raindrops pelted his face, Danny finally began to feel chilled and he wrapped both his shaking arms around his middle. A new surge of panic rocked him as he glanced back to the jungle and its blackish-green arms swam at him.

"Down. Have to get down." Pacing back and forth, Danny's eyes searched for a way to get to the water. Looking out to the far horizon, he tried to grin as a gust of wind lifted his shirt and he wavered at the edge of indecision. The distant lightning that was so high above the dark clouds was beautiful and enticing. But before he could think to move, the badly eroded soil which was now soaked by the deluge gave away, sending him sliding helplessly down the rocky slope.

Rocks cruelly dug into him as he tumbled awkwardly down. He finally lost the grip he had on his gun and gasped when his body slammed unceremoniously into a small outcropping. The ledge stopped his descent and Danny lay there limply, completely shattered as thunder boomed overhead. The strong wind-driven rain felt like thousands of miniature spikes on his face and arms while tremors shook his body. A dim part of his brain leaked into his actual awareness and Danny blinked as something inside told him to move away from the treacherous edge he had fallen so close to.

Groaning, he used his right hand to gain leverage to instinctively push his back into the cliff-face. His entire chest loudly protested any movement as he finally eased himself into a half sitting position and then raised his hand to feel the warmth on his temple. The next flash of lightning showed him the dark blood on his finger tips. He'd hit his head and yet, he felt no pain from that as blood dripped down mixed with rain water from his hair-line.

The storm was directly overhead and lightning eerily lit up the small ledge he lay upon and the distant rough seas. Hanging his head, Danny closed his eyes and retreated into his miserable freezing body as he tried to will himself away from the world that was attacking him.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

Steve was running hard even before the ground had given way to take Danny plummeting away from him. And he had to skid to a stop in the watery muck before risking his own treacherous tumble. Falling to his stomach, he crawled as close as he dared with the flashlight and then shouted in relief when he saw Danny not more than thirty feet below. Still prone, Steve called Chin and Kono to make urgent demands.

"Got him – come due East past the warehouse. Double time it - I need those supplies! Coordinate an airlift – but with this damned weather – I don't know when we'll get help." Hearing the dual affirmative replies, Steve used his flashlight to keep the ledge illuminated. And he continued to yell down but didn't get a response from the unmoving form of his friend.

Twenty minutes later, Chin and Kono were both at his side and heaving from the hard run through the slippery jungle. "Has he moved?" Chin asked breathlessly as he helped Steve find a tree to anchor the rope.

"No." Steve murmured distractedly. "And it's probably a good thing." Fixing the pack with supplies, he trusted Chin to keep the second flashlight on the rock face as he moved down the steep slope. Kono was doing her best to keep Danny's body illuminated below them. But the rain and wind were turbulent and Steve slipped many times as he made his way carefully down to the ledge. Once there, he secured himself as best as possible to the rocks and gently felt for Danny's pulse while speaking softly.

"Danny, it's Steve. Everything's going to be alright." The light waved above him and he took a moment to shout an '_all clear'_ to the cousin's obvious worried question. It was then that his voice seemed to rouse Danny from his stupor but it had a frightening effect and Steve soon had both his hands out in a plaintive gesture.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's just me. Sit down .. sit back down and let me help you."

Trying to melt backwards into the rocky cliff face, Danny slowly hauled himself up to his feet and eased backwards. His breath was harsh and ragged and without really being able to see him, Steve could read the pain in the rough voice. "Steve? Don't come any closer. They're coming for me and I have to get away from them. You can't be here. Please. Help Grace. They want me."

The ledge was big enough for two, barely. But Danny's sporadic movements were taking him closer to the off-side and Steve was forced to back away as Danny accidentally dislodged loose rocks from the edge. "I was right. They were there .. they were waiting."

Steve nodded with a tiny smile. "Yeah, Danno you were definitely right about that. Both of Schneider's guys were waiting for us. You have to trust me though that they aren't coming."

Lightning flashed again and Steve saw the too wide eyes and lines of deep stress as Danny shifted again and one foot literally slipped off the ledge. Hunched and shaking, he was a torn and muddy mess as he grabbed frantically at the cliff face for balance. "How are you even standing, Danno." Steve muttered under his breath. And as Danny lost his balance again, he had to stop himself from charging forward but his voice still rose in alarm.

"No, Danny! Stop! Just stop and listen to me." Steve pleaded desperately. "We got them. Kono and Chin got them already and it's over. I came back for you because Grace needs you now .. it's safe Danny."

He waited then as the thunder cracked warningly overhead and a flash of lightning flickered across Danny's bloody face. Other than the dark blood, his face was very pale. But the lightning and the combined beams from the cousins flashlights also lit up Steve and Danny hesitated as he saw the black gloves, familiar black t-shirt and genuinely worried expression.

"Steve. You have a face." Closing his eyes, Danny whispered as he sagged down to one knee. "You have a face and .. I don't know …why."

"Alright. I have one. I'll explain it later." Steve agreed as he took the opportunity then to close the distance between them and to quickly wrap the excess rope under Danny's arms. Steve was mindful of the damaged ribs but quick and efficient; only allowing himself some peace of mind when the injured man was secured firmly to his own rope and harness.

He readied for a backlash as Danny feebly pushed against him and began to argue. "You shouldn't be here."

But Steve didn't need to worry at that point as Danny's eyes unexpectedly slid shut and he pitched forward into his arms. His pulse pounded too hard through Steve's searching fingers while ragged breaths proved the worsened injuries to his ribs. The noise below the cliff edge was overwhelming and rather than trying to yell against the wind and rain, Steve used his comm link to speak to Chin and Kono.

"Keep in touch with the Coast Guard. With these storm conditions, we're staying until it breaks. We aren't going to be able to get him up ourselves. Find shelter to ride this out, but tell the Coast Guard to get here at the very first opportunity."

Steve was moving quickly as he spoke, anchoring himself more firmly into the rock face and then spreading out more equipment. A large plastic tarp was hammered to the rock wall above where he and Danny were positioned. Within minutes, he had draped it over them as protection from the worst of the elements. A third flashlight illuminated the small space allowing Steve to lay out medical supplies. There was little he could do for the broken ribs and even less about the drug. But after dressing the deep cut on Danny's temple, Steve pulled him up into his arms and awkwardly covered them both with the blankets that had been shoved deeply into the backpack.

Cold shivers wracked Danny's body as Steve tried to warm him up with body heat and the blankets. But things were working completely against him between their rain-soaked clothing, plummeting night-time temperatures and the drugs set loose in Danny's system. He could at least sense that the storm was moving away, but the winds were still severe as rain pelted the plastic sheeting. Danny moaned and twitched as thunder echoed off the mountains and wind loudly billowed the plastic that served as their hasty shelter.

Broken whispers were repeated on shallow exhales and Steve gently tightened his hold as Danny feebly struggled again. "Coming. They're .. coming."

After that, all Steve could do was to try and shush him gently as the storm droned on around them. "No. They're gone, Danno. Permanently."

_** ~ to be continued ~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **so here's the deal. I was given WRONG info. My expo ended at 2pm instead of 4pm. I made the 2:30 Amtrak train instead of the 6 pm train. I will be HOME before the 6 pm train ever leaves the station. To celebrate, yes another chapter! Isn't that nice? Plus the Acela has WiFi. :-) I am a happy person!

*** H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 6**

Steve stayed up the entire night as Danny faded in and out of a drug-induced awareness. At the peak of his confusion, he struggled hard against being restrained; arguing and fighting to almost bring down the plastic sheeting. Turning on Steve, Danny's paranoia escalated to a violent temper and Steve had his hands full keeping Danny from hurting himself even more. Even injured, his strength was startling but Steve was limited in what he could do to restrain his friend. If not for the ropes and rappelling gear, Steve knew one or both of them would have gone completely over the cliff's edge. The episode lasted for minutes and it left them both panting and drained with Danny drifting once more into a dream-filled half sleep.

At times, he would text a short message to Chin and Kono just to touch base and check the much too slow passage of time. Having retreated back to the cars to ride out the storm, they essentially stayed up all night as well. The last message he had just received from Chin was definitely more promising. According to the weather reports, the storm had dissipated and the wind would die down enough for the Coasties to get in just after dawn hours.

"Good." Steve breathed out with a great deal of relief as he closed his eyes. Danny had finally relaxed into what seemed like a real sleep and he loosened his hold just slightly to shift his legs. Though his muscles had cramped long ago, Steve rarely moved to ease his own tension. And he only dozed lightly now as the drugs finally wore off as dawn approached. But Steve woke fully when he felt the immediate change as Danny came aware again once the early morning light brightened the tarp. Even though he had yet to open his eyes, Steve could feel his breathing alter and it indicated a growing confusion as Danny fisted his hands.

His loose hold gently tightened once more as he waited to test Danny's general mood. Hoping his voice would be calming, Steve took a chance at whispering a few words. "Take it easy. Don't move too much."

The wind was still strong as it whistled over the rocks and Danny kept his eyes closed as he tried to understand what was happening. None of the sensations or sounds made sense and he was consumed by unease. And he was cold .. so cold that he swore his teeth were beginning to chatter out of his aching head. Something sturdy and warm was wrapped around his upper body but as soon as he tried to move, the pressure tightened warningly and Danny's eyes flew open in alarm.

"Danny?" Steve's voice was both low and cautious as it rumbled behind him. "Try not to move."

Opening his eyes did nothing to reassure Danny and Steve's advice did even less. Blinking wildly, he tried to make sense of the flapping, hazy white bubble they seemed to be sitting in and then the hard, rocky ground. Looking down, he frowned in total confusion when he realized that the pressure wrapped around him was from Steve's arms and he was actually tucked under blankets and resting up against his partner's chest. Another prickly harsh band was uncomfortably circling his arms and back.

"Let .. go." Objecting to the closeness, Danny tried to push Steve's arms away but hissed as his ribs exploded in pain. He wasn't ready for it and it completely took his breath away. Through a dim haze, he was aware of Steve rubbing his freezing cold arms through the blankets as he kept a firm hold of his upper body.

Weakly pulling the blankets down, Danny tried to close his fingers over Steve's wrists to break away. But his attempts were futile against Steve's stronger determination. "What are you doing .. let go."

"I told you not to move, Danno. But I can't let go of you. Not just yet." The vibration from Steve's voice ran through Danny's back and he easily picked up on the finality of the tone. He might be confused and he might even resent being held, but for some reason there was no way that Steve was going to allow him to move.

"I know it hurts. But I'm not letting go. So right now, I want you to tell me how you feel. Do you know what happened?"

Even in his current state, Danny sensed that the questions were laced with a double meaning. In fact, they were demands. It all meant more than if he was injured but all he could get out was one word as he took small, shallow breaths. The weight on his chest and the grating ache worsened as he shivered; it was all too much and he could barely think straight.

"Hurts." He sagged backwards and could almost feel the concern emanating from Steve. And then a stray thought came out of nowhere and Danny tightened his hold on Steve's wrist. "Schneider."

He frowned and shook his head as he remembered the shadowed warehouse, distorted blurs of streaming light, and more gunshots. They had all been under attack. And though he couldn't remember anything else, Danny was sure of at least that. "That lunatic. And there were more .. I was right. There were others. And .. Grace?"

"Yeah, you were right, Danno." Steve sighed out quietly. His grin was tight and weary though. "And Grace is absolutely fine. She's safe at home. Schneider's dead. So are the other two. Chin and Kono took care of it. HPD is here .. it was a little late, but we got all the backup in the world." Softly whispered, the poor joke fell flat but there was no remorse and only concern in the deep voice.

"Are you .. _better_? Tell me Danny, are you okay now?"

More demands. A highly worried tone. And Danny honestly tried to think. However, the memories were too vague; it only made him shake his head and he could feel Steve immediately tense behind him. Something else had happened however, he trusted that Grace was alright. If Steve said she was safe then it was true. But he was honest as he closed his eyes and tried to think. "I don't know. I don't know what happened. I don't know where we are."

His breathing altered again as a sharp pain stabbed his ribcage and settled high in his back. His hand moved weakly up to his shoulder as he wheezed carefully through his mouth. "Hurts. Where are we?"

As the light increased in their small shelter, Steve leaned over gently to check Danny's pulse before answering. Even under the blankets, they were both very cold in their damp clothing, but Danny's pulse was at least more rhythmic and he slightly relaxed. Plus it was the most coherent conversation he had so far with his partner so he had to be over the worst of the drug's effects. But Steve now had another decision to make. He had pain medication but was hesitant to use it until he was sure that Danny would be able to handle yet another drug.

"Easy, Danny. Just tell me where the pain is .. how bad is it when you breathe?"

"Chest .. hurts .. bad. Headache. Cold .. why is it so damn cold?" The weak cough followed and Danny groaned when he felt Steve move slightly behind him. The dull throbbing headache made him slowly reach his hand up to feel the bandage on his temple. Looking around the small space, Danny dropped his hand to his lap when he finally realized he was looking at a large plastic sheet. A flashlight lay to his left side and next to Steve was a large open backpack with medical supplies haphazardly sticking out of the canvas opening. Used pieces of gauze and tape were strewn nearby. There was no warehouse, his entire body was an odd combination of a fiery cold pain, and he was completely bewildered by their predicament.

Soft coughs punctuated his words and he was left taking shallow pain-filled breaths. "Steve? What .. the hell ...happened? Where are ...we?"

Rather than answering, Steve only shushed him as he searched through the backpack. "No more talking for you." He gently warned. "I'm going to do all the work and you're just going to take it easy."

"That sounds ... too much .. like an order." He coughed again and closed his eyes as a strong ache suggested that the order might be a good idea.

"Shut up, Danno." Steve rolled his eyes in exasperation. And Danny couldn't see the dark expression that had settled onto Steve's face. It was a new face that Danny would be hard-pressed to find an adequate name for. Having made a decision, Steve was looking for the small emergency kit.

"Morphine." Danny watched bleakly as Steve one-handed fished the syringe and small glass vial out of the pack and then readied the pain medication. "I didn't dare try .. before .. I think it's okay now though. It's just morphine and will help until we get out of here. Chin and Kono are waiting nearby but with this wind, it will take a couple of hours before the Coast Guard can make it in for us."

The explanation was odd but Danny accepted it as Steve gently grasped his right arm, swabbed the site and injected the medication. It was then that Danny saw the ropes that were also wrapped around his upper torso.

"What's .. that .. rope?" Danny asked as he weakly plucked at the rough nylon. "I don't get it .. what's it for?"

He felt Steve nod before he heard the brief words which he finally accepted without complaint. "It's okay. For safety .. we need them right now. Stop talking." A few minutes later, Danny felt the warmth spreading through his system and he relaxed more as the severe pain became a duller roar.

"It's a half-dose but that should take the edge off. It should help." Danny heard Steve's voice as if in a tunnel and then had to force his mouth to work. Chilled fingers settled on Danny's neck, once more checking his pulse and he almost smiled as his eyes closed.

"It's fine.. perfect." The soft huffed sound clearly disapproved of the two words. "Thanks." Danny slurred out when he faintly felt the blankets drawn up around his chest again; never really realizing that Steve had only muttered, _"any time. Now shut up. Go to sleep."_

But he hadn't actually answered any of his own questions.

_** ~ to be continued ~**_


	7. Chapter 7

**I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 7**

With Danny seemingly more comfortable, Steve had dozed again when his phone vibrated just less than two hours later. "Chin." Voice roughened from exhaustion and now willing to admit he was pretty darn cold, he hoped the man had good news. "How much longer?"

"_They landed in the main lot and a two or three-man crew is coming with us to the top. They'll rappel down with the basket and bring you both up. How are you and Danny doing?_"

He rubbed his face with his free hand as he closed his eyes. "In terms of the drugs, he's better .. I think. But he's out again and in a lot of pain from his injuries. We're both cold and maybe just a little hypothermic." It wouldn't do any good to sketch over what has happening and he was now trembling sporadically too.

_"Fifteen minutes. Tops."_ Chin promised. And they must have grown wings because Steve felt as if he'd just ended the call when he heard the voices and scrabble of falling rocks off to the side of the shelter. Rather than risk disturbing Danny, Steve merely waited until a helmeted head popped under the corner of the tarp.

"Command McGarrett." The woman was business-like and efficient as she bent under the tarp and then crawled over to where they lay to assess both men. A louder scraping clatter preceded her partner who did his best to ready the rescue basket so that Danny could be carefully hauled back to the top of the cliff.

"You're in good hands. We'll get you both out of here in no time. My name is AST Helen Furman. My partner here is AST Gary Benson."

And Steve knew it was true because they were trained Aviation Survival Technicians. No one else would be qualified to step foot on that cliff based on the Coast Guard's rigorous training program requirements. Besides cliff rescues, they could probably run circles around him as rescue swimmers regardless of water conditions.

"I have no doubts." He murmured quietly as he tried to help her examine Danny. "His ribs are busted up on the left side. He may have injuries to his back and shoulders. Just under two hours ago, I gave him a half-dose of morphine for the pain." Furman nodded as she moved to the head wound and lifted each of Danny's eyelids to check his pupils. Sitting back on her heels, she asked Benson for more equipment.

"His vitals are slightly depressed, but surprisingly not too bad. And his breath sounds are decent on each side."

"So, he's okay then?" Steve asked. "I wasn't sure about the morphine because ... ah .. we had an issue with a suspect last night. He was injected with LSD before we could subdue him."

Furman hesitated and frowned at the news before re-checking Danny's vitals. "I wondered how two of Five-0 could possibly get into such a mess." She replied dryly putting two and two together about the effects of the drug. "But, I'd say that decision wasn't all wrong .. and a half dose was wise enough."

He heaved a sigh of relief at her opinions. "He's been out of it for a while now, but he's in a lot of pain when he's aware."

"He's very cold. And not hurting him anymore will be our challenge." Speaking to her partner, she motioned for the basket to be pushed closer. "His ribs are broken and he has a concussion. Lungs seem clear. But he's hypothermic."

Their conversation was brief and within minutes, they'd decided on how to gently transition Danny to the basket. Benson and Furman had their patient in the basket in a few quick seconds, but the movement had roused him. He woke in a daze just as they were covering him with new warm blankets and belting him in.

"Good morning." Furman calmly said as she gently grasped his arm to get his attention. "I think you're ready to get out of here and to some place warm, right?" Her patient was semi-aware and only nodded as his worried eyes left her face to find Steve.

"Time to go home Danny. I'll be right behind you." Steve said as Furman shifted on her knees to being a quick triage of her second patient. She knew that he was a skilled Navy SEAL and had noticed that he was still in his rappelling gear which was attached to the cliff wall. Uninjured as he was, the Commander was also hypothermic, but perhaps not as badly. She gave him a meaningful look as she turned back to Benson.

"I think we can all go up together." She glanced to Steve who was exercising his fingers and hands, plus stretching sore cramped muscles. "Do you think you can manage, Sir? We will both be right next to you if you're able." She grinned as Steve quickly agreed and slowly rolled to his feet.

"Yeah, I can manage. I'm sore .. cold .. but it's not too far."

Benson was talking to Danny as he held yet another emergency blanket and demonstrated lying it up over Danny's face and head. Steve could tell that the AST was already having trouble keeping Danny calm and so he leaned in to unwind Danny's clenched fist.

"It's a good idea .. it won't be as disorienting and it will protect your face from any spray or kicked up debris from the wind."

Danny's eyes were worried and possibly even on the verge of panic as straps were tightened around each part of his body including his forehead so he wouldn't be jostled. He was blinking rapidly and trying to keep up with the new situation.

"I'm not sure." Secured tightly to the basket, he could no longer move and he almost blindly wrapped his fingers around his partner's hand.

"We're going up. And I'm not going to lie to you. It's not the best feeling, so listen to Gary and let's get this over with." It was another no nonsense bossy demand and Danny swallowed hard before closing his eyes. He was cold and beyond tired, and the move to the basket had woken the burning sensation in his chest.

Steve gave him another encouraging squeeze and then patted his shoulder. "Piece of cake, Danno."

"Says you." Danny mumbled as he felt the Coast Guard team ready the basket. He closed his eyes after seeing AST Gary Benson's reassuring smile one final time and just before the protective blanket was laid over his entire body and fastened securely to additional straps. After that he found himself biting back pained moans as he was carefully pulled up the steep slope.

His view of the dizzying heights may have been protected and he could certainly feel the still gusty winds. But the sliding, loud scraping sounds and jolts from being transported up the cliffs just about did him in. His head injury which hadn't bothered him all that much, now flared with the change in position besides the severe rocking motions of the basket. By the time, he was hauled safely to flat ground, he was barely conscious and breathing erratically through his mouth. Furman was once more on her knees to finish the next phase of triage. Oxygen and an I.V. of fluids were quickly dispensed, as was another mild dose of morphine. Chin was anxiously on the opposite side of the basket, all ears as she and Benson tried to stabilize Danny for the short trek back to the parking lot and waiting helicopter.

Another Coastguardsman and Kono had Steve by the arms as he wavered in exhaustion from the strain he'd just pushed through to climb back up to the top. He was refusing to move until Furman gave him an update on Danny's flagging condition. "Change in position and the move were both very hard on him. But he's doing well considering .. his chest sounds continue to be decent. I'm actually most concerned about the hypothermia so we need to keep him warm and get him to the hospital immediately."

She scowled at Steve when she saw that he was shaking from the strenuous climb and almost unable to walk. "Sit." She demanded as she got up from where she'd been kneeling. Ignoring his rising level of annoyance, Furman re-checked his own vitals and questioned him now on his ability to walk. "We don't need any heroes."

"I can manage." The glare he received from the AST was damning and he stilled long enough for her to insert an IV line and hand the third Coastguardsman the bag of fluids. He traded places with Chin to wrap a heavy blanket around the SEAL's shoulders.

"Can you three help him? He's exhausted and a bit hypothermic as well." Anchored between Chin and Kono with the third Coastie on their heels, Steve was only going under their firm guidance.

"Let's go boss." Kono said as she insisted on draping his arm over her shoulders. With her cousin on the other side, they were soon on their way. The group soon grew in size to include Duke and a few of the remaining HPD officers. Worried about their colleagues, most had stayed the night as well to ride out the storm.

And when Steve looked up from where he'd been made to sit inside the rescue helicopter, he was surprised at the sheer number of faces. "Mostly everyone stayed." Kono whispered when she saw his astonished expression.

Furman glanced up and smiled before giving Duke a friendly thumbs-up signal. "Time to blow this popsicle stand." She said smartly as the flight crew readied to leave. Benson agreed as he leaned down to once again check on Danny who was trembling under a pile of blankets.

"How is he?" Steve asked worriedly as Benson once again read Danny's blood pressure.

"It's low .. all his vitals are on the low side." The AST answered truthfully. "I agree with Helen that the hypothermic symptoms are most troublesome right now. That along with the concussion."

Steve sighed wearily and closed his eyes as he listened to them work. But as the helicopter lifted from the ground, she tapped Steve's knee to catch his eye. "But his breath sounds are good, so his lungs haven't been compromised by the damaged ribs. It's a bit of good news." Furman emphasized.

"We're only a few minutes from the hospital now and they'll take over." She tried to offer some additional reassurance to the anxious team that had crowded the helicopter. "Hey, I promised good hands, Sir. We were glad to help you both out of that tricky situation."

Pulling the blankets more tightly around his shoulders, Steve found the energy to offer her a genuine smile. Once the Coasties had arrived, scarcely thirty well-orchestrated minutes had passed with the skilled team. So then all he could think to do was to repeat his earlier words. "I had no doubts."

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	8. Chapter 8

******I (we) do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: ** we want to thank each and every one of you for such wonderful encouragement during one of our first joint stories! We do have another in the works, but it is taking longer to properly come to a conclusion. We promise to work on it over the next few weeks. Thank you!

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O***

**Chapter 8**

Danny woke hours later and wondered if any of it had actually happened. The frantic running, loud arguments and fighting. Had he really left his team, run away and then fought so desperately against Steve? Dim memories of a warehouse, heavy jungle and a violent storm made worse the unsettling feelings of a dizzying height and overwhelming noise. Exhausted and feeling ill, he partially opened his eyes and studied the hospital room.

Blankets were piled high and he was warmer this time; but even so, he continued to shiver and his hands felt like ice. A heaviness lay across his chest making it difficult to breathe. But he didn't dare take in a deeper breath of air as he recalled the severe spikes of pain. The subtle movement of his head to look towards the doorway, made him wince as an acute ache flared through his head, neck and shoulders. But it eased and Danny opened his eyes more to blearily seek out the shape he knew would be somewhere in the room.

Danny had to wet his lips before trying to speak. His mouth was woefully dry and almost unwilling to form the one word. And Steve, god help him, was sound asleep in the corner of the room totally unaware that Danny had finally woken. Slouched down in a chair, he was covered in a blanket nearly up to his chin.

"Steve." He rolled his eyes dramatically to himself as the whisper faded on a short exhale.

But Kono suddenly appeared in his line of sight and it startled him. "Danny? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Her voice was laced with fatigue but she was smiling as she bent over him and pulled her hair back roughly into a messy knot.

"He's here, but he's sleeping." She fixed the blankets further up around him without saying another word. Her eyes were red-rimmed and glassy as she rubbed his icy fingers between her much warmer hands.

"You're still so cold." She whispered gently. But as quiet as she was, her soft murmurs while she fussed over Danny roused Steve from where he slept in the chair.

"What's wrong? Kono?" Steve was worried as he jolted awake. Bleary eyed himself, he only could see her slim shape bending over the bed. But when she looked up smiling, he calmed his pounding heart as he stumbled over the blanket that fell off his lap to puddle on the floor. Danny tiredly raised an eyebrow at the borrowed hospital scrubs and over-sized HPD dark-blue sweatshirt that Steve was wearing.

"Danny. It's about time." His own relieved smile brightened the heavily creased face and exhausted eyes. Scruffy and worn out, Steve was ringing the nurse's station. "You slept straight through all the excitement. And then some. It's been hours."

"It's probably … a good thing." Danny whispered around his dry throat as he recalled fractured glimmers of blue sky, strange faces and loud noises. And then a faceless, helmeted man wearing white and orange reaching for him or maybe for the basket he had been strapped into. "Helicopter?"

Steve nodded as he carefully raised the head of the bed a bit more and Kono offered him a sip of water. "Yeah. We had to wait a few hours after dawn for the Coasties to get in. But you're going to be fine now, Danno." The relief continued to be evident on Steve's face and he took a minute to rub both hands through his hair.

"Coasties?" He whispered in confusion. But then there was only one thing that Danny seemed to want to know about - the drug dealer and his threats towards Grace. Frowning at the weary faces above him, he managed the man's name as a question.

"Schneider? Grace? I don't understand ...what happened."

"We didn't get the main cartel, but the three primaries are dead so at least the network is in turmoil. Schneider over-dosed and coded in the ambulance. Kono and Chin took care of the other two." Steve hesitated and almost couldn't continue when Danny's questioning look clearly asked for more information. The doctor had warned them all that Danny wouldn't remember a good deal of what had happened but he hadn't quite believed that fact. What remained so vivid for Steve had already become nothing more than a bad dream for his partner.

"Grace is fine .. always has been. She's not in any danger." Sincerity laced Steve's roughened voice until he saw Danny relax. He glanced only once to Kono before continuing with the larger explanation.

"We aren't sure when Schneider slipped you the LSD. Probably during the tussle you two had on the second floor. We didn't know if .. _if_ .. he'd given you what he died from. It took hours on that damned ledge praying .. hoping .. that you'd make it through the night."

"Ledge?" Ignoring Danny's bewildered expression, Steve took in a deep nearly shattered breath.

"Max ran the samples from the body, but with you ... I took a chance with the morphine. But it was really confirmed only after we got you here .. Schneider was partying before he met up with us. He overdosed and had at least three different toxins in his system. But we didn't know for sure .. Danny, we didn't _know_ for the longest time."

Lying there, Danny let the words wash over him as he studied Steve's distraught expression. He certainly hadn't realized it either. He remembered the fight but not too much after Schneider was taken into custody. The dealer had obviously injected him with LSD during the first few seconds of their frantic struggles back in the warehouse. And Kono had become even more quiet as Steve spoke, only to move silently back to the chair she'd been stationed in near the opposite corner of the room.

"You just kept going. And then you fell down ... an embankment." Only Steve heard Kono mumble ruefully about the truth of that statement.

"Embankment my auntie." Rolling her eyes towards the ceiling, Kono virtually ignored Steve for daring to downplay what had happened. And while he couldn't follow all of what Kono and Steve were saying, it was all enough for Danny to almost remember that Steve had not only tied him into a safety harness, but had also held him so tightly restrained in his arms. The frown lines deepened in his forehead as he stared quizzically at his partner.

"What?" Steve asked when he saw the confusion growing.

"Were you hugging me?" Completely bewildered by the dim memory, Danny breathed out the question in disbelief because he distinctly remembered being held. Kono garbled out a loud laugh as Steve's face morphed into one of shock.

His response was flustered as he glared at the giggling young woman. "No .. I wasn't exactly hugging you, Danno! It was cold .. we were cold." Steve threw a hand up in the air as he began to smile. "You know what? Just forget it .. it's one of those things you shouldn't try to remember."

"Of all the things." Steve finally laughed and shook his head. "Really? That's what you ask?" But Danny couldn't remember much of anything else and the splintered memories were distressing.

"Steve .. I .." But his friend shook his head with a smile as he sat on the edge of the bed and refused to allow Danny to continue. "I don't remember. We..?"

"No, we're good. And it's over. Though you did a number of your ribs and you are going to be here for a couple of days." He looked up as Chin strode into the room laden with coffee and pastry bags. His timely entrance allowed Steve to mask his feelings and Kono's remaining sadness evaporated as they both gestured grandly towards Danny.

"He's awake. He's better." And then the three only moved aside when the doctor came in to check on his patient. The man was efficient and calming as he gently reassured Danny that he was over the worst effects of the LSD without any residual effects.

"It was enough to make you extremely sick, but you'll have no lasting damage." Repeating Steve's earlier words, the doctor continued. "You will be staying a few days, Detective. You have a concussion, two broken ribs and a badly bruised back. We're also bringing your body temperature back up from that nasty weather you were exposed to over night. Which actually, had become the larger concern. But you're doing well." The man checked Danny's charts before injecting pain medication into the I.V. line. He then looked around at the friends before leaving.

"He'll be fine with rest. And honestly, I'm not yet entirely pleased with his body temperature."

He was listening, but Danny had closed his eyes again as the doctor spoke. Parts of him felt warmer, but he was not fully comfortable as sporadic shivers continued to roll through his body. He dozed briefly while the doctor continued describing important next steps.

"Pain management is going to be important and it will also make him sleep. Which he needs to heal." With a finger aimed at Danny, the man's smile was warm and he was chuckling at the passive, lax expression. "Sleep is what you need. And I see that you're in good hands, so get some rest."

Kono made a great show of fixing the blankets again; he forced his eyes open as she added yet another. "So like the doctor just explained, you're blood pressure's low and you're hypothermic which is why you're so cold. But the blood tests are normal which is the most important thing."

The relief was evident on every face as Steve repeated the words again. "Yeah, you're going to be fine."

Chin gave out with a loud chuffed sound as Danny failed completely at fighting the strong medication. Tired and ill, he was worn out but still didn't want to to give in to sleep with his friends in the room; but he had just about already lost the battle. He was drifting off to Chin's voice and the smell of good coffee. "Go to sleep, Danny. We plan on hanging out for a while."

Kono grinned as she lifted the pastry bag up for him though his lids were already shut. "We'll try to save you one." The quirky grin lifted one side of his lip as he truly fell asleep. But Steve was sure he heard the faintly muttered "_better save two'_ and he chuckled before sinking wearily down into a chair.

"Too close." He muttered as he rested his elbows on both knees and buried his face in his hands. Muffled now, Steve's voice was almost cracked from exhaustion. "Way too close. And it went too far."

Chin nodded in agreement as he nudged Steve's hand open to accept a hot cup of coffee. The man had his own brief bout of exposure to contend with as a cold tremor ran through his body. And then Chin was up and draping the spare blanket over Steve's shoulders before he had a chance to decline the need for one.

"It was. But it's over. At least for now. He'll be out of commission for about six weeks." They were all worn out as they sat quietly around the room with coffee in hand, and no longer interested in eating. More than seven hours had passed since they'd first stepped foot on the roof of the hospital. A long period of time to pace, worry and wait to finally get news on Danny's general condition worsened by exposure to the rough elements.

During that time, Steve had been practically force-fed one I.V. of preventive fluids to combat slight dehydration and then offered the scrubs to change into from his damp clothing. Duke had come up with the HPD sweatshirt for added warmth. He had even managed to take a short nap on a gurney where covered in a few blankets of his own, his cold body finally had a chance to recover.

_Seven_ hours on top of a harrowing stormy night full of restless nerves, unexpected fighting, and an edgy panic. They'd been up for almost twenty-four hours by the time they'd reached the hospital and were all now finally allowing themselves to come down from the ongoing and much too stressful adrenalin high.

"That guy was crazy. I'm not sorry to say that I'm glad he's gone." Kono whispered as she sipped from her cup. "He had no regard for anyone .. if he did this .. any kid would have no chance at all." She was watching Danny's face as he slept. Five stitches were under the clean white bandage on his temple. But a dark bruise peeked out to run down his cheekbone.

"No doubt." Her cousin murmured in response. Chin watched as Steve folded in on himself in the uncomfortable chair and gently retrieved the half-full coffee cup before it could fall to the floor. He'd had the most awful night of all as he simultaneously tried to offer emergency triage and protect Danny from himself during the worst of the strong hallucinations. He had been released to go home, but after the stunning events and horrendously long night of stress, it was obvious that Steve would not leave. In fact, no one had any intention of leaving for at least a few more hours.

So not only Danny, but Steve also deserved their silent support and companionship. Chin reached over to make sure the blanket was firmly tucked around Steve's shoulders before wearily closing his own eyes. It had been too terribly close for each member of the tight-knit team.

And while they had removed three primary dealers from the streets, those responsible and higher up in the cartel would eventually find others to take their places. It was just a matter of time before it would undoubtedly begin all over again. But hopefully, they had all made it a great deal more difficult.

_**End**_


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